Kouga's Flowers
by paynesgrey
Summary: Kouga brings her flowers, and Kagome starts to like it. Canon, early series. Kagome x Kouga, Vignette. This will not be continued.


AN: Written for the "Flowers" theme at inuyasha_et_al on Livejournal. Vignette. Early series canon. This will not be continued.

Kouga's Flowers

He gives her flowers, and Kagome thinks it's sweet. She humors him, of course. She's certainly not getting any attention from Inuyasha, not with Kikyou's dark cloud floating around his head and infecting their camp all the time, and certainly not with Miroku's attention (which was once hers, but just for laughs) firmly affixed on the demon slayer.

Kouga visits, proposes to her again and again, and loudly professes his love for her. He doesn't need to go to all that trouble just to ask her to find a jewel shard. Kagome does it anyway; even if Inuyasha thinks it's his idea.

When Kouga comes, flowers in tow (more like weeds he found in a field somewhere), he smiles and Kagome finds herself enjoying him. Though, she avoids his blue eyes, mostly because she'll get lost there. She has doubts if she looks into his eyes. Doubts about herself, doubts about her heart and to whom it belongs. Kouga's eyes are dangerous - whether in battle or not.

So she can avoid his fabulous blue eyes, but maybe she allows herself the pleasure of looking at his body - golden brown from the sun, rippled with muscles and always glistening with sweat as he dashes on enchanted legs to come to her.

The next time he brings purple flowers - wild violets, and they're beautiful, and Kagome takes them before Inuyasha can destroy them. He leaps at her but Kouga intercepts, taking him on. She doesn't have to say a word. Kouga always says the same thing: "Why don't you treat Kagome better? Why are you always following around that dead chick?" Kagome sometimes wonders all that herself. Inuyasha doesn't answer, just growls and uses his claws and fists.

Soon Kagome notices that Kouga is just more than a good-looking demon male who brings her flowers. Well, she's _always _known that he has a good heart, that he cares for her and his pack. That he'd sooner die than let Naraku win. Inuyasha is like that too (of course, he's not as vocal about certain things), but Kouga's behavior makes it just that more difficult. She's never given Kouga a second thought before, but second thoughts are like his lovely flowers, each time more abundant and beautiful than the last.

Another day later, when they haven't heard from Kouga in a while, everyone is tense, snarling at each other and desperate for a nice bath and a warm meal. Inuyasha's temper is the worst, and it only becomes more aloof when Kikyou beckons him. Kagome doesn't know what they're doing; only that she has to trust Inuyasha. Of course, it doesn't help when Miroku remarks she doesn't have to trust anything; she and Inuyasha are not technically together. Kagome slides further in her depressing slump and not even Shippou can cheer her up. She stares into the fire hoping her dark thoughts will burn away. Then, Kouga comes.

He doesn't bring flowers. He brings them a fresh kill for dinner, and he approaches them with a grin. He looks around, wondering where Inuyasha is (and hoping to show off his large kill) and Miroku helps him with the food. He joins them for dinner, and Inuyasha returns to camp, silent and pensive, and doesn't say a word, nor does he take a share of his food. Kagome can't take it anymore; she draws Kouga into a tight hug, and she kisses his cheek. He freezes in shock, and everyone else does as well.

Kagome glares at Inuyasha, who appears to be out of his dark mood. He starts to fight Kouga again, and the wolf demon grins at him, taunting him about the kiss. The two end their sparring as Kouga begins to dash away. Kagome thanks him for the food, and Inuyasha seethes at him in anger. Then he turns to Kagome's eyes, hurt, and she mirrors his emotions. Now he knows how she feels.

Kouga doesn't bring flowers the next time. He doesn't bring food either. He approaches Kagome with a soft tone, and he dares not start a fight with Inuyasha. Something is different about him. The hanyou glares at him, but Kouga doesn't even take Kagome's hand like he always does. He just crosses his arms over his chest and smiles at her.

"I'm off," he says confidently, and Kagome braves a look into his crystal clear eyes and realizes there's something else on his mind. The look on his face is familiar - a determined warrior's face; the same look she's seen on Inuyasha's face countless times. "I don't know when I'll see you again, Kagome."

Inuyasha huffs in the background, staring at the somber scene and ready to jump the moment Kouga makes a wrong move. He doesn't, and Kagome wonders if Inuyasha isn't disappointed.

"Good luck and be safe," Kagome says, and Kouga nods.

"Sorry, I didn't bring flowers," he says, and she can see that he somewhat regrets it, like not having a token of himself to leave behind.

Kagome shakes her head, and Kouga is dashing off. She can barely hear Inuyasha sigh in relief behind her, but she wonders if he might not miss the wolf demon's fighting. Kagome will miss him at least. She'll miss his dangerous blue eyes and his wolfish grin.

She'll miss his banter - the type that keeps Inuyasha on his toes and brings Kagome back into the hanyou's thoughts.

And yes, she'll even miss the flowers - the sickly, torn flowers that Inuyasha claims are just ugly weeds. Kagome doesn't care; she appreciates the sentiment. She appreciates Kouga, and she still can keep Inuyasha in her heart to realize that. She has plenty of room in there for Kouga too.

END


End file.
